1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to squeeze dispensers for metered dose dispensing of a liquid, such as vitamins, medications, four stroke motor oil, etc. The present invention dispensers rely upon a unique combination of trap chamber, dip tube, extended inlet leg and valving at the bottom of the dip tube. The unique bottom-located valving and dip tube includes at least one leg extending outwardly from the dip tube to enhance air intake during partial inversion for dispensing. In order to accommodate one or more legs that, with the dip tube, is/are wider than a container neck opening, either the dip tube or one or more legs, or both has a flexion area to permit bending or folding to allow for easier insertion into the container neck.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following prior art is representative of the state of the art in the field of metered dispensing:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,270 describes a combination liquid measuring and dispensing device comprising in combination with a compressible container, a liquid flow conduit in said container and extending through the uppermost end of the latter; an elongated measuring tube having the lowermost end thereof disposed adjacent said uppermost end of the container exteriorly of the latter; and a laterally-extending pouring spout integral with the tube at the uppermost end thereof and provided with a restricted outlet orifice, said conduit extending into the tube through said lowermost end and on the longitudinal axis of the latter and being joined to said lowermost end of the tube in closing relationship thereto, a portion of the conduit within the tube extending at an angle in a direction oppositely to the pouring spout and terminating in an uppermost open end spaced from the pouring spout on one side of said longitudinal axis of the tube whereby, when the container is grasped and tilted to pour the contents of the tube through said orifice, said contents will not flow into the container through the conduit, a portion of the conduit within the container extending at an angle in the direction of the pouring spout, whereby to prevent flow of liquid from the container into the tube during the aforementioned pouring operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,942,762 describes a dispenser for attachment to a primary reservoir having a threaded top comprising, in combination, a flexible cap characterized by a convex circular top and generally cylindrical side wall portions defining an internal cap reservoir, intersecting slits in the top of the cap defining flaps, a reinforcing ring integral with the cap top and ringing the flap bases, an internal mounting shoulder at the base of the cap side walls, a check valve housing with an upper ring to engage the cap mounting shoulder, a threaded coupler defining a flexible cap receiving opening at its top, a cap lock ring within the coupler which cooperates with the check valve housing against upward movement relative to the coupler, and a delivery tube extending into the primary reservoir from the check valve housing which delivers the contents of the primary reservoir into the cap reservoir and through the discharge flaps responsive to the pumping action effected by flexing the cap top.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,236 describes a dispenser unit for attachment to a container for dispensing the contents thereof comprising a cap having a tapered portion for insertion within an opening of said container, said cap having portions external of said container consisting of interconnected front and rear walls and a top wall, said front wall being greater in height than said rear wall, the top wall of said cap extending from the upper edge of said front wall to the rear wall at an angle to the plane of the opening in said container, a protuberance from said front wall, said protuberance having a slit therein, said slit forming a valve for extruding the contents of said container, and a ball in said tapered portion forming a valve in series with said slit valve, said tapered portion, said front and rear walls, said top wall and said protuberance being integral and resilient.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,216 describes a portion dispensing container for liquid comprising a squeeze container having a flexible wall, a bottom, and a top having a reservoir section, a movable funnel-shaped measuring cup having an outlet tip serving as the sole draining outlet for said cup, said cup being disposed within said container in a manner so that its sides ride vertically adjacent the sides of said reservoir section and its upper edge is abuttable against the top of said reservoir section, a separate ridge tube connectable at one end to said outlet tip and other end penetrating the bottom of said container in sealing relation therewith to allow discharge therethrough of said liquid when said container is inverted to fill said cup, then uprighted, and the wall is squeezed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,454 describes a measuring cup for pressurized containers having a downwardly movable discharge valve operating member in an end wall, a tubular sleeve extending downwardly from the bottom wall of said cup, the bottom end of said sleeve being shaped to engage said member and surround the discharge opening of said container, said tubular sleeve extending above the bottom of said cup, discharge passages in the wall of said sleeve adjacent the inner face of the bottom wall of said cup, a closure for the end of said sleeve, said closure having a flange extending substantially beyond the wall of said sleeve and having at its outer edge an unbroken flat surface contacting the bottom wall of said cup and an annular groove within said flat surface, the discharge passages in said sleeve opening into said groove.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,420 describes a container for dispensing measured quantities of different liquids and comprising an integral multi-compartment body formed of flexible wall light-transmitting molded material, two of the said compartments being reservoirs formed with a common generally vertical web, at least one other compartment defining a measuring and dispensing chamber formed over the reservoir compartments and having a common generally horizontal separating wall therewith which is provided with an opening on each side of the vertical separating wall to provide communication with the respective reservoirs, the said horizontal separating wall being deeply grooved on opposite sides to connect the two reservoirs to the measuring and dispensing compartment by a generally horizontal web, the said measuring and dispensing compartment being formed with a top wall having a dispensing opening adapted to be closed by a cap and providing access to the openings in the horizontal separating wall for filling the reservoirs, a conduit means for opening in the horizontal separating wall and insertable therein through the dispensing opening, said conduit means including an opening at its upper end whereby liquid can be transferred independently from the reservoirs and in quantities determined by observing the liquid level in said chamber through the light-transmitting material and in total quantity determined by the liquid level at the discharge openings of said pouring spouts, the transferred liquid being thereafter dispensed from the measuring and dispensing chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,700 describes a container and closure assembly that has a resilient lower storage chamber and a transparent upper dispensing chamber defined either in one unitary body, or in two units in a fitment between the chambers serves to transfer a predetermined quantity of liquid from the lower to the upper chamber upon squeezing the lower one. The upper portion of the dispensing and measuring chamber has discharge orifices defined therein, or in an insert provided in a top opening thereof The insert may comprise either an orifice pattern, an atomizing spray nozzle, or a foam nozzle and may be capped off by a conventional cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,113 describes a fluid applicator assembly including a retainer ring adapted to be snugly fitted within the open end of a container, the ring having at one end an inwardly extending peripheral web member having a valve opening therein, a valve stem extending through the valve opening and having an abutment at one end lying against a cover means for the assembly and a valve head at its other end lying against the underside of the web, and a coil spring urging the valve stem in a forward direction, the wall of the web opening being inclined forwardly so as to define a valve seat and the wall of the web opening being further inclined inwardly so as to permit easy snap-in insertion of the valve stem through the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,972 describes an apparatus for measuring and dispensing liquids that includes a flexible container which is squeezable operated to increase the pressure therein and thereby operate a fluid control valve mounted in a filler tube for discharge of a quantity of fluid into a measuring receptacle mounted on the container, whereupon the decrease in pressure within the container caused by the discharge of fluid therefrom operates to open an air inlet valve allowing air to enter the container when the container is released.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,547 describes a measuring and dispensing apparatus for use with a flexible-wall container. It includes a dispensing means having an enlarged cylindrical base portion having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end disposed on the enlarged base portion, the upstanding portion also having a bore therein and an outlet orifice disposed therein proximate the upper end and in fluid communication with the bore; the enlarged base portion having container engaging means thereon; wall means disposed around the dispensing means and forming, with the enlarged base portion a fluid measuring chamber, the chamber having an upper end having a fluid outlet; and a tube having an inlet end and an outlet end, the tube disposed so that the outlet end is disposed in the bore in the upstanding portion of the dispensing means and in fluid communication therewith, the inlet end adapted to be disposed in the flexible-wall container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,749 describes a disposable squeezable dispenser employing a flexible container filled with a mixture of air and the liquid to be dispensed. The dispenser employs only two main parts (other than the container itself) plus a ball and dip tub. One of the main parts is a hollow pull top which cooperates with the other main part in a sealing operation which prevents leakage when the dispenser is not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,180 describes the open neck of a vertical container of fluid that is covered by a horizontal flexible diaphragm with an outer lip detachably engaging the periphery of the neck. A top disposed concave cup-like recess centrally disposed in the diaphragm has a hole in the bottom. A vertically elongated tube open at both ends extends through the hole and is sealed thereto, these ends being interconnected by a vertical bore. The bottom end extends into the fluid. The bore has a vertically elongated enlarged region which is disposed intermediate the top and bottom tube ends. The top tube end has a plurality of horizontal spaced conduits interconnecting the bore with the interior of the recess. A sphere in said region is slidable up and down therein, being moved by gravity to the bottom of the region when the tube is upright and being moved by gravity at the top of the region when the tube is inverted. Two sealing devices are disposed in the region adjacent the top and bottom thereof, respectively. The sphere when disposed in the top of the region engages the first device and when disposed in the bottom of the region engages the second device, each device when engaged by said sphere forming a closed neck valve through which said liquid cannot pass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,346 describes a variable volume dispenser of the type wherein squeezing a manually deformable bottle forces liquid from the bottle up through a dispenser tube and into a measuring chamber. An axially movable closure, captured within the outlet end of the dispenser tube is pushed or pulled to snap open or snap close the outlet end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,552 describes a device for metering and dispensing liquid or semiliquid mediums, such as adhesives, paints, lacquers, oils, and anaerobic plastics, comprising a tube having a discharge port and a first valve seat with a conical taper thereto inside of the tube adjacent the discharge port, and a valve body slidable within the tube between open and closed positions with the first valve seat. The valve body has a conical tapered end portion which complements the conical taper of the first valve seat of the tube. At least one spring normally biases the valve body to closed position against the first valve body which extends through the discharge port of the tube and closes it when the valve body is in closed position against the first valve seat. A cylindrical inner wall of the tube to form a second valve seat between the flared storage chamber and a metering chamber formed between the ends of the valve body with the cylindrical inner wall of the tube for the purpose of controlling the amount of medium dispensed during use of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,897 describes a metering dispenser assembly having a squeeze bottle with a metering cup fitting the neck of the bottle and carrying a dip tube which extends to the bottom of the bottle. The dip tube, or at least a pillar into which it fits, terminates at a level between the top and bottom of the cup, and there is a vent hole at this level to provide communication between the container and atmosphere. The vent is small enough not to allow significant leakage from the cup during a dispensing operation. The vent could instead be alongside the dip tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,767 describes a pre-measure dispensing device that is made of translucent plastic material adapted to be screwed onto the top of a bottle to pre-measure fluid dispensed from said bottle. The bottle may be deformable so that when squeezed, fluid goes up the tube into the measuring device. The bottle can then be tipped to expel the exact amount of the fluid desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,553 describes a liquid metered dispensing container of the squeezable type. The squeezable container has an opening for dispensing liquid therefrom at one end and a bottom at the other end. A non-flexible trap chamber is connected to the opening and extends outwardly therefrom. The trap chamber has a lower end inserted into the container opening and has an inlet orifice extending from the lower end into the container. The inlet orifice is adapted to receive a dip tube which is attached thereto and extends close to or at the bottom of the container. The trap chamber has an upper end with a dispensing orifice. This is small enough to prevent dripping of liquid therefrom by gravity when the bottle is inverted but is large enough to dispense liquid therefrom when the bottle itself is squeezed. A one way valve is connected to the lower end of the trap chamber which permits liquid to flow from the container to the trap chamber but not vice versa. The trap chamber may have indicia so that the exact dosage levels of different amounts may be squeezed into the chamber, or the chamber itself may have a single, predetermined volume.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,808 describes an applicator device comprising a receptacle, which is closed by a tearable cover, and a deformable applicator element, in which, between the applicator element and the cover, is a round body retained by a retaining device. Under the effect of pressure exerted on the applicator element, which is transmitted to the rounded body, said rounded body tears the cover and falls into the receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,990 describes a liquid applicator with a self-sealing feature. The applicator includes a housing, a valve member and a spring member. The housing has an aperture through its top wall and an annular sleeve projecting inwardly from an edge of annular sleeve having an end portion. The valve member includes an actuating part that is slideably received by the annular sleeve and a sealing part that is shaped to form a releasable seal with the end portion of the annular sleeve. The valve and spring members are disposed in an axially displaceable relation such that the actuating part of the valve member is resiliently urged into the annular sleeve; that a part of the actuating part protrudes from the top wall of the housing; and that the sealing part of the valve member sealably engages with the end portion of the annular sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,624 describes a fluid dispensing valve used for printing and marking, having a valve body with an end wall which defines an aperture and a spring biased valve element disposed within the valve body to open and close the aperture. A spring element is coupled to the tubular body adjacent the circular wall, the spring element and the wall defining a chamber for receiving a fluid metered through the aperture of the valve body when the aperture is opened, the spring element having at least one aperture communicating with the chamber. A porous member transfers the fluid received in the chamber to a surface in the form of a printed geometric image. In operation, a printing force applied to the porous member causes the spring element to compress and engage the portion of the valve element thereby pushing a portion of the valve element partially back through the aperture in the open position to allow the passage of a marking fluid therethrough to the chamber to wet the porous member. The porous member has a predetermined rigidity which substantially prevents the porous member from distorting from its predetermined geometric shape under the printing force. The fluid dispensing valve is typically affixed to the open end of a container which contains the fluid to be dispensed. A removable cap is provided for covering the valve when it is not being used.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,620 B1 describes a metered dose dispensing dabber device that includes a dabber main housing having a container attachment for affixing the device to a container, a metered dosage reservoir, a hollow dip tube, a metered dosage reservoir outlet, and a valve. The main housing has a base divider wall, this base divider wall having an underside and top side. Further, the base divider wall is closed to prevent liquid from passing from the underside to the top side. The metered dosage reservoir has enclosed walls and is located above the top side of the divider wall. The hollow dip tube passes through the base divider wall and extends downwardly therefrom for insertion into a container. The dip tube also extends upwardly to a predetermined height in the metered dosage reservoir to establish a fill level. The metered dosage reservoir outlet is located on a metered dosage reservoir wall opposite the dip tube. The valve is located in the reservoir outlet, in proximity to the dip tube. The valve has a first position wherein the reservoir outlet is closed and the dip tube is open, and has a second position wherein the reservoir outlet is open and the dip tube closed. The device is attached to a container. A user squeezes a container to fill the reservoir (dab) the metered dosage.
Pakistan Patent No. 110,059 describes a collapsible container comprising a dispensing chamber including a measuring cup, a tube leading from near one end of the container and projecting into the measuring cup, a tube leading from near one end of the container and projecting into the measuring cup so that liquid is forced through the tube and into the chamber when the container is collapsed, the size of the measuring cup and the position of a discharge opening or openings in the projecting part of the tube determining a measured quantity of liquid to be dispensed from the container, and an outlet through which liquid can be discharged from the chamber. The invention is particularly applicable to containers for hair treatment liquids, but the containers can obviously be used for other liquids which need to be dispensed in measured quantities.
Netherlands Patent No. 7,613,833 describes a liquid metering device that is intended for a bottle and comprises a stopper fitting in or on the bottle opening and containing a chamber with bottom and side walls and an outlet. A tube enters the chamber and is connected, at its lower end, to a rigid tube or hose extending to near the bottom of the bottle. The tube orifice is at a predetermined level above the chamber bottom and below the outlet which is a narrow jet orifice. The volume of the chamber is preferably at least twice the volume determined by the position of the tube orifice.
Netherlands Patent No. 7,712,828 describes a container made from a flexible material that is combined with a second container. They are used for tapping a fixed amount of liquid accurately. The two holders are interconnected via a tube. The second holder has a discharge hole surrounded by a neck with an external thread. The ends of the tube are located near the ends of the holders facing away from each other. The second holder is partially made from transparent material and has a scale division. The tube is fixed to the second holder. The hole is in the first holder.
Germany Patent No. 1,075,967 describes a dosing and transport bottle of a transparent and resilient synthetic material, having attached to the neck a transparent dosing container connected to the interior via a riser pipe.
Europe Patent No. 383,644 A1 describes a dispensing container that includes a liquid reservoir with a screw fitting cap. A dispensing chamber is defined within the space over which the cap fits. The volume of the chamber is variable, with the side walls of the chamber being formed of a bellows. The base of the bellows chamber includes an opening with a tube extending into the liquid. The tube also includes a non-return valve. The cap includes an inner protrusion, so that when fitted it depresses the bellows, and when removed, the bellows expand to fill the chamber with liquid.
Germany Patent No. 3,819,098 A1 describes a dosing chamber emptied by pouring that is connected to a liquid in a reservoir chamber with a flexible wall via a rising tube. The rising tube connects to a dosing shaft in the dosage chamber with a liquid aperture above the dosage chamber base. The dosage chamber is in the form of a beaker whose inner wall has a peripheral marking offset w.r.t. the bounding wall. The marking is visible by looking through the beaker opening into the beaker's interior. The marking may be in the form of an annular step in the beaker's wall.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.